Chapter 14

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Surprised by the voice, the head maid and I turned our heads in a hurry.

“Your Majesty the Empress,” we immediately gave a bow while saying our greetings.

It was Rose, no, the Empress.

She waved her hand at our greetings as if our formality was tiring her.

“That’s enough. I’m not asking you to greet me.”

Her dark green eyes were fixed on me.

“Charlize, is it true that you cleaned the fireplace?” the Empress sternly asked me.

“Yes, Your Majesty…”

Well, I was a maid. Wasn’t it natural for me to do so?

I looked at the empress in turmoil.

“Why didn’t you tell me…! No…”

The Empress shook her head before she breathed a long sigh in exasperation.

“You don’t have to do that here,” she said seriously.

“But…”

“Until you’re over fifteen, you’re not allowed to do such a dangerous thing. Do you understand?”

The Empress’s severe expression compelled me to forsake any reason, so I could only give her a nod.

She looked at my face with a complicated look. Her cherry red lips parted…but in the end, she turned around.

‘If you have something to say, just say it.’

Looking at the fading back of the Empress, I suddenly remembered the ointment the Empress had given me. I ended up not applying the balm and left it to collect dust in the drawer.

‘Whenever I see her acting like that, I can’t help but mistake her for Rose. Just like Sister Rose, she would care for me from time to time.’

I managed to swallow in my sigh.

At the same time, the head maid looked back at me with a rarely seen stern expression.

“You heard what the Empress said, right?”

“Yes?”

“Until you’re older, you aren’t allowed to do such a thing.”

She sighed heavily.

“Why did they order a child to do those kinds of chores?” she muttered under her breath.

Head Maid Hayden’s hand was gently stroking my head while murmuring that.

My cheeks couldn’t help but warm up at her soothing touch.

Every time I was treated like this, I simply couldn’t keep my emotions at bay.

Meanwhile, a peculiar question crossed my mind.

‘How did the Empress catch the conversation at such perfect timing?’

* * *

Although my life at the education center was like hell, my five-year experience living there did pay off.

I became pretty quick-witted as a result!

‘It’s not a big thing, but…it’s still better than being tactless, right?’

Maybe that’s why I could get a rough idea of the maids in the palace. After conversing around, I found out that all the maids had something in common. They all admired and looked up to the Empress.

While we were walking down the hall with the laundry, Senior Maid Wember started talking.

“Actually, the Empress helped me.”

“Helped you?”

“Yes. Frankly speaking, the Wember family is impoverished,” she said, laughing mischievously.

Senior Maid Wember continued on while taking care of the laundry.

“That’s why the Empress deliberately made me a senior maid.”

“When you become a senior maid…was there any difference between being a common maid?”

“Yes. Once you become a senior maid, you’ll be one of the closest aides to the Empress.”

One of the closest aides to the Empress…

It was just wishful thinking on my part.

Senior Maid Wember smiled.

“It’s an honor for a lady; it can also help you find a good family to marry into. Besides, the salary is substantial.”

“I see…”

“Don’t worry, Charlize will also be a senior maid one day.”

I laughed awkwardly.

Well, I wonder if I would ever get a chance…

The Empress was nice to me now, but what would happen in the future?

I didn’t know what the future held.

Furthermore…I was in a dilemma as to how I should treat the Empress.

“Sister Rose” or “Your Majesty the Empress.”

My heart felt heavy while thinking of the two conflicting names.

‘Huh?’

I looked back when I felt a gaze on my back.

“Lize, what’s wrong?”

It felt strange. I could feel someone’s eyes on me…

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion as I scanned my surroundings.

‘Am I being too sensitive?’

“…it’s nothing.”

‘Well, maybe it’s a mistake,’ I thought as I laughed the odd feeling off.

But the strange gaze did not end there.

The second time I felt the gaze was when I was with Head Maid Hayden.

“Her Majesty has been famous for her intelligence and beauty ever since she was young.”

“Wow, is that so?”

“Yes, if you go out, there are men from all over the land who have flocked to meet Her Majesty.”

As if she was reminiscing about the past, the head maid’s eyes softened in her daze.

Apparently, the head maid had served the Empress for a long time. She’s been the Empress’ nanny ever since she was a child.

I nodded.

“It’s understandable since the Empress is the most beautiful woman in the world.”

I didn’t need to force myself to say those words for what I said was not a lie.

And in front of her closest aide, there’s no reason to refrain from giving out praises.

…well, it’s not like I hate her.

I was just a little uncomfortable with her presence.

In order to earn the favor of the head maid, I subtly praised the Empress when I had the chance.

But then…I turned my head instinctively.

‘Huh?’

‘That look! I felt it again!’

I raised my head as I searched for the source of the gaze.

The head maid was puzzled by my behavior, “What’s the matter, Charlize?”

“That…!”

Someone’s been observing me since a while ago!

I almost answered that reflexively, but my words caught in my throat when my gaze landed on a certain figure.

Behind the leafy flower pot in the hallway’s corner, the hem of a dress was sticking out.

‘Impossible…!’

I stared at the shadow near the pot with wide eyes.

Among the green leaves, a few strands of red hair was seen through the rose.

Only then did I realize why the Empress was able to join the conversation at such a perfect time.

‘Was it the Empress who was following me?!’

‘No, I’m sure I’m hallucinating.’

I stiffly turned back as I couldn’t believe my eyes.

As if to deny the evidence laid before my eyes, I asked the head maid a question.

“Um…Head Maid Hayden.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Her Majesty the Empress…what do you think she’s doing right now?”

“Now?”

Lady Hayden measured the time for a moment before she smiled.

“It’s three o’clock in the afternoon, so she must be looking at the documents,” she answered as she patted me on the shoulder.

“Documents?”

“Of course. Charlize is still young, so you don’t know, but the Empress is a very busy person.”

Well, I guess so.

When I heard about the Empress’ daily routine the other day, I thought that even ten of me would not be enough.

I knew it.

“The Empress has a lot to do, that’s just how busy Her Majesty is as the Mother of the Empire.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Of course. Moreover, Her Majesty is a very responsible person…”

Once again, a long string of compliments for the Empress followed.

I tried to refrain myself from sneaking another look at the flower pot.

‘Then who is that beautiful woman I see?’

Then, the head maid asked me,

“But why do you ask that?”

‘The responsible and faithful empress seems to be hiding behind the flowerpot now.’

There’s no way I can say that, so instead, I squeezed out a smile and spoke as if there was nothing wrong.

“Well, since I’m the maid of the Empress…”

“Yes, but what’s the relation with…”

“Well, of course. Isn’t it expected that I, a maid, know my master’s schedule like the back of my hand?”

This is what we are, a maid and a master.

My back faced the Empress as I was currently turned away from the flowerpot.

But at the same time, I could feel a sad gaze on my back.

‘Am I being too cold?’

I unconsciously questioned myself, before realizing it wasn’t my place to do so. I pulled myself together and forcefully reminded myself, ‘Her Majesty is the Empress, and I am her maid.’

‘I might cross the line again, but I mustn’t let myself mistake the Empress for “Sister Rose”. It’s best if I do it this way.’

I must ingrain this fact in my mind.

We couldn’t go back to the old days.

Deep down in my heart, it felt as if countless needles were piercing it, but I ignored the pain I felt.

***

During the night…

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Head Maid Hayden who was brushing the Empress’ hair began to speak. Her voice unwavering, as if she had made up her mind.

“Your Majesty the Empress.”

At the call, the Empress looked at the head maid’s reflection.

She furrowed her brows as she asked the Empress.

“Until when are you going to stop following Charlize around?”